News and Trends 15 May 2020 Synthetic Biology Could Lead to Clean Energy Using Light and Carbon Dioxide Researchers in Germany and France have combined synthetic biology with microfluidics to create artificial photosynthetic droplets, which could lead to the production of organic chemicals and clean fuels that is more efficient than nature can achieve alone. In a study recently published in Science, the research team developed an automated way to produce artificial versions […] May 15, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 15 May 2020 Update: ADC Therapeutics’ IPO Hits Above Target with €215M Update (15/05/2020): The Swiss biotech ADC Therapeutics has priced its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange far above the initial target of €172M, raising a total of €215.2M ($232.7M). ADC Therapeutics ended up offering more than 12 million shares at a price of €17.57 ($19) per share, which was higher than the €16.65 ($18) […] May 15, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 14 May 2020 Oncopeptides’ Share Issue Bags €133M to Take Cancer Drug to Market Swedish biotech Oncopeptides has raised €133M (SEK 1.4B) by issuing new company shares, surpassing expectations and driving the launch of its targeted chemotherapy drug in the US. In what could be one of European biotech’s largest equity boosts this year, the company exceeded initial plans to raise €111M (SEK 1.2M) through Nasdaq Stockholm following a […] May 14, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 14 May 2020 EU Initiative Pumps up Funding for Covid-19 Research to €117M The funding will go towards eight research projects that have been selected out of 144 proposals received by the EU’s Innovative Medicines Initiative. In March, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) opened a fast-track call for proposals on diagnostics and treatments for the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the large number of high-quality proposals received, the IMI […] May 14, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 13 May 2020 Genfit’s Phase III Drug Fails to Treat NASH, But New Players On Horizon Patients with the chronic liver disease NASH must now wait even longer for an approved treatment, after French biotech Genfit’s phase III trial of its lead drug candidate elafibranor failed. But, newer players, such as Novo Nordisk, are edging closer to the market. This year, it is predicted that NASH — the full name of […] May 13, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 May 2020 Gamida Cell’s Bone Marrow Transplant Cuts Treatment Time in Phase III A rapid-acting bone marrow transplant developed by the Israeli biotech Gamida Cell was engrafted in blood cancer patients 10 days faster than standard umbilical cord blood transplants in a phase III trial. The trial recruited 125 blood cancer patients in more than 50 clinical centers globally. One group received a standard transplant of donor umbilical […] May 12, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 May 2020 Italian Pharma Getting Back to Normal With Two Biotech Acquisitions Despite the country being hard hit with Covid-19, Italian pharma seems to be getting back to business as usual with two oncology-related biotech acquisitions in the last week. The most recent acquisition was of French immuno-oncology company ElsaLys Biotech by Mediolanum Farmaceutici, a pharmaceutical group based in Milan. The French biotech has several candidate drugs […] May 11, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 May 2020 Phase III Failure Sinks Drug for Rare Neurological Disorder The Italian biotech Newron is halting the development of the experimental drug sarizotan after it failed to meet efficacy endpoints in phase III, dashing hopes for an approved drug for Rett syndrome. Expectations had been high that the oral drug might be able to treat breathing difficulties associated with the rare genetic disorder after promising […] May 8, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 May 2020 €7M Series A To Democratize Genomics with AI-Driven Cloud Software The UK-based bioinformatics firm Lifebit Biotech has closed a €7M Series A funding round, which will help the startup to accelerate the global market expansion of its AI-driven, cloud-based genomics analysis software. The round was led by the Parisian VC firm Idinvest Partners and also included returning investors Pentech Ventures, Beacon Capital, and Connect Ventures. […] May 8, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 7 May 2020 EU Pitches Into €7.4B Fund Supporting Covid-19 Treatments & Vaccines The European Commission and global donors have pledged €7.4 billion to a fund aimed at ensuring collaborative development and universal deployment of diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines for Covid-19. The Coronavirus Global Response pledging event is the beginning of a global fundraising marathon organized by the European Union and G20 nations in response to a World […] May 7, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 7 May 2020 BioMarin Partners Swiss Biotech to Develop Cardiac Gene Therapies US biotech BioMarin has partnered Swiss startup DiNAQOR to develop gene therapies to treat rare, inherited cardiac diseases. DiNAQOR will initially receive an upfront payment from BioMarin, followed by developmental, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments and a percentage of royalties on later sales. No financial details of the collaboration were revealed by either company. “We […] May 7, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 7 May 2020 Lyme Disease Vaccine Gets Pfizer’s Backing in €284M Deal The French biotech Valneva will collaborate with Pfizer to develop and commercialize Valneva’s phase II-stage Lyme disease vaccine candidate. The deal they signed is expected to help compensate for the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Valneva’s financial outlook for 2020. The latest alliance will pool Valneva’s vaccine R&D expertise with Pfizer’s vast drug development […] May 7, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email